Feelin' The Love

Hello po pamiliya at mga kaibigan, 

   

 First off, Happy Valentines Day everyone!!!!!!! I am so excited to type up this email to you because so many amazing things have happened this week!! 

     On Tuesday, I was able to work half a day and it was so great but I was limping pretty bad and it was sad because the only shoes I had just got holes in them AGAIN. (seriously, these things need a mile warranty like tires or something) On Wednesday we had exchanges with the STL's and I was so worried because I really wanted to be able to walk and work the whole day but my leg was hurting so bad from just one day cause i had to walk all weird to cater my foot. Anyways, My prayer was totally answered because during exchanges I was able to work the whole day and my foot didn't hurt and i wasn't even limping! We were climbing up mountains in the woods and everything and I was fine! see? BLESSINGS. My STL's area is where the mall is so after dinner we went to the mall to try and find better shoes for me because holey shoes are actually really annoying,especially when you need to cater your foot. It ended up the only shoes they had in my size were vans. I ended up getting them and they are AWESOME. So much better to have actual support walking a million miles a day! haha:) I definitely never thought I would be wearing vans with skirts on my mission, but "it's more fun in the Philippines" right? :)

     On Thursday, we headed back to my area to meet up with our companions again and I definitely felt like I had been hit by a bus after all the hiking in their area the day before after being on "bedrest"  but when we got home I heard the best news!!!

  .....Our investigator, Brother Dois Dado came back from his work trip to manila. He had been gone a month and a half and we hadn't been able to contact him because he has no phone and the work didn't say how long he would be there. So last transfer he was all set to be baptized and so excited and then he had to leave  for work so we just gave him the address to the church in manila and hoped and prayed he would be alright and progress up there. Anyways, he came back this week and since he had no one to contact us, he just went and waited outside the church for like 2 days(he is very dedicated!) until a member saw him and then contacted us to say he was there because he "wanted to be baptized!" We set up an appointment that night to teach him and when I first saw him, it was like the most joy I've ever felt. Dois Dado is this cute little 52 year old man who has no family and was adopted so he really is on his own now. His story is so special and long I can't really do it justice in this email but I'll settle to say that I love this guy so much. I have learned the most from him than any other investigator and we have helped him through so many things, I love him so much. His faith is so strong it inspires me so much. Anyways, when we taught him he told us he tried to go to the address of the church but it was actually the temple and he said "the security guard said i couldn't go in because I needed an I.D (temple recommendation) but it was so clean and beautiful on the outside, I can't wait to go back!!" haha So at least now he really wants to go to the temple after he is baptized! He is so awesome though, he was on his own all that time and he kept reading the Book of Mormon on his own and abstaining from alcohol and cigars which he  was addicted to before. So the miracles is that he came home Tuesday, we taught him Thursday, he was interviewed for his baptism on Saturday and he is all set to be baptized on February 14! I told him it was a great way to show his love to our heavenly father on valentines day and he would never forget the day! I am literally so happy for him. He has come so far and I have really seen in him how the gospel can change people's lives for the better. It can change our very nature. He told us that in 2008 the first missionaries came to him but he was drunk and not ready to change his life yet so nothing came of it but he said  basically "I used to be so lost but then you found me and I found this church and now I'm not lost anymore." THAT is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the atonement. Because Jesus Christ loved us enough to take on our sins and our mistakes and die for us, we have a chance to repent or in other words to change. We always can be "found" if we just know where to look. I am so grateful to my heavenly father for the opportunity I have to tell all the people here in the Philippines that Jesus Christ is "the light and the way" and all we need to be saved, or find happiness in this life is turn to him and choose to take the steps to follow him. 

The Lord has really blessed us this week. I really believe that the blessings and miracles we receive will always come after a trial of our faith. Sometimes the blessings don't come immediately but they will always come if we have faith. The Lord amazes me SO MUCH. Like I mean all the time. I am constantly happy that he is the one in charge and not me. I like his perfect plan. 

Transfers are coming up soon, we find out on the 21st if one of us will be leaving. That thought is terrifying to me. I have been here 6 months and I really feel like I have given my heart to these people. There is no way I can leave them without leaving a bit of my heart here too! But like I said, I know the Lord has a much better plan than I do. So I will just keep working and loving and doing all I can here until it is my turn to move on and love and work somewhere else. 

Mahal ko kayo lahat talaga! Ingat kayo at plagi remember you are loved and known by a perfect ama sa langit:)

Sister Turner